Welcome Gentlemen Wise!
I’m going to share a some tips on looking your best in a tie:
Let’s wise up and suit up gents!
The quick answer is at the top of your waist band. That said, I typically wont re-tie my tie if it lands within a range. For me, the acceptable range is the bottom of my belt to a couple fingers over my belt. Even the best of us can’t hit the exact top of the waistband every time! But keep reading because I will share a tip that greatly improves your chances.
Keep in mind, the ideal length of a tie changes through time. "Short ties baptize" was a saying missionaries used to say when I served a mission for my church. I share it to make the point that the length of a tie has changed over the years. At that time, GQ magazine recommended 4 fingers over your waistband.
So, aim for the top of your waistband, but remember that slouching changes where the tie hits. Stand straight up and hit the tip of your belt.
There are two reasons to depart from the typical length.
First, some people claim that a longer tie helps make you look thinner. You may have noticed Donald Trump’s tie length is always much longer then his waistband. In Chris Christie's book, he quoted President Trump advising him to wear longer ties to give a slimming effect. I've never heard that before, I have heard that a wider tie makes you look skinnier. I tried to research the long tie theory and wasn't able to find anything in fashion or scientific sources. It may call attention away from the belly.
Second reason you may depart from the typical tie length is if your tie is too long for you. You may have to tie your tie a little longer so that the tail (short end of your tie) doesn’t stick out behind the blade (wide end). An alternative is to tuck the short end of your tie in your shirt.
As mentioned, there is a trick to getting your tie the right length which I share in the attached video above. Learn a trick to tie your tie the right length every time.
If you have a particularly long torso or a short torso, you probably have trouble tying ties at the correct length.
Do you often find that the tail (short end) of your tie is too short to tuck into the keeper loop? If so, make sure you’re using a knot that takes less length. I recommend the Half Windsor Knot or the Nicky Knot. Another knot that is also good is the Four-in-Hand Knot.
Do you find that the tail is too long and always showing? If so, try using more length in the knot. I’d recommend the Double Winsor. I’ll be coming out with an even better knot in the next couple videos.
In the video above, I'm wearing the Orange Crush necktie.
